Guldhamn was a sight to behold. The city was so vast, one could stand in the middle, spin around, and see nothing but houses in all directions. Every single one of those houses was a marvel in itself. Guldhamn was arguably the richest city in all of Sev. The buildings were large and fine, every edge straight and every entryway decorated with carvings and statues. The people were well fed and dressed in finest cloth. Every district had bath houses and bars, which served delicacies both local and foreign.

This grandiose city was surrounded by equally grandiose defences. The outer wall was lined with archers and arbalests. The gates were open, but a multitude of armed guards stood at the ready. Noticing the cautious welcome, the caravan made halt at a generous distance. Only Oskar, Thorun, and a handful of their guards approached the city. As an additional show of respect, they dismounted several meters away from the barricades and continued on foot. They were greeted by a troop of swordsmen, lined up just past the gate. Behind the lines stood Linus Guld.

“He is from Eshein. If you follow his tradition, you will address him by last name”, Tone advised quietly.

The swordsmen made a path, and Guld approached. He was a tall man, dressed in finest red silk. Golden patterns had been weaved into his clothes, swirling like waves over his chest and back. Across his waist and hips hung chains of gold and crystal, but the finest piece of art on his body was the long blue skirt. A three-master ship had been stitched onto it in lurid colours. The deep red and blue of his clothes complimented his dark skin, and not a single piece required a belt or a buckle. Everything fit him like a second skin.

At Guld’s side stood an archer in meticulously shined armour. A thick braid of long brown hair hung over the finely ornamented pauldron. The long braid covered part of the three-master design hammered into the breastplate. The same emblem was also imprinted on the guard’s belt, which held a curved sword, and two daggers of beautiful design.

The guard’s eyes scanned the group of strangers. Especially Oskar and Tone caught their attention. When they looked to Kaija, their gaze softened in an instant.

“Edit!”, Kaija smiled. She took a step forward, but stopped herself.

Thorun nodded her approval. Guld did the same, allowing his guard to leave his side. The two met halfway, embracing tightly.

“By Gaia it is good to see you”, Kaija beamed.

“I could say the same thing! Though, I go by Edward now.”

Kaija nodded. Placing her hands on his arms, she grinned, “I am happy for you.”

“Thank you”, Edward smiled, placing his hands on her arms in turn. “I was sure I would never see you again.”

“As was I. I thought you left for Eshein.”

“I did.”

“Really?”

“It is a long story, one best told over dinner”, Edward invited.

“Very well”, Guld agreed. “If Edward thinks it wise to invite you, then I will heed his advice. Come to the castle before nightfall and we shall break bread together. Let us talk then.”

“Guld. We are honoured by the invitation”, Oskar accepted.

“Yes, that will do”, Thorun said. “Where can we rest in the meantime?”

Guld frowned at her, and she crossed her arms over her chest. “We have come a long way to be here, and we have protected your lands along the way. There are Wolves roaming the Ader. I expect a helpful force like ours can make camp nearby”, she clarified sternly.

“Certainly”, Guld grumbled. “Make camp by the river, outside the walls. The land is mine, so please do not disturb it more than necessary. We shall discuss further this evening.”

“Fine”, Thorun agreed before turning on her heel.

Oskar tried and failed to force back an awkward expression while he bid Guld farewell, more gracefully.

“I will see you soon then?”, Kaija asked.

Edward nodded firmly, before letting go of her and retreating to Guld’s side.

Sylvia was beyond excited when they rode through the gates of Guldhamn in the late afternoon. The past year had brought her to many startling and wondrous places, to numerous villages and towns, to Holms Fäste, Fristad, Adersta, and Brofäste, but Guldhamn was something entirely different. It was busy, but at the same time calm and entrancing. The people moved slowly, sauntered rather than walked. You could not decipher the standing or occupation of a citizen based on their looks, the way they dressed or the burdens they carried. Even the fishermen, craftsmen, and servants wore richly coloured clothes, and chains of silver and gold. Most curiously, every part of the city had a distinct scent. Near the gate hung a smell of leather and animals. Further in, there was wood and many fires. As they pressed on, there were strong spices and fragrant herbs in the air. Finally, the harbour emitted a smell of fresh fish and seaweed. Hundreds of boats were dotting the piers, and over a dozen humongous ships lay anchored. Each and every one of these colossi took a decade to build in the dry docks of Eshein, before ever setting sail. It was almost a shame to have to go inside the castle and loose sight of the foreign giants.

At the entrance to the castle, their horses were tended to. They were led through several long corridors into a generous dining hall. The selection of food served at Guld’s table was hardly a surprise, but it was still awe inspiring. There were several meat and fish dishes, piles of nuts and roots, and plates and bowls overflowing with fruits and vegetables. After placing several pitchers of wine and water on the table, the servants bowed their heads and left.

“Is it common to leave guests alone in the dining hall?”, Oskar asked.

Tone nodded. “Quite so. It allows us to have a look around and settle in. However, we ought not to eat or drink anything before Guld’s arrival. It would be a sign of greed.”

“Good to know”, Sylvia said.

Yri sighed in the general direction of the fruit platters. “Do you reckon he will be long?”

“I doubt it”, Tone smiled. “I do wonder why he chooses not to observe local custom, though.”

“Maybe he wants to show off”, Ida chuckled.

“You think?”, Yri jested. “He clearly wants to demonstrate his wealth. He wants to make sure that we want him on our side. That gives him the upper hand in our discussion.”

“It is working, I can tell you that”, Oskar jested.

“Do not get too comfortable. He might ask a lot in return, perhaps too much”, Thorun warned.

The door opened once more, and Guld stepped inside with his shield. He wore a forced smile and motioned to them in a welcoming gesture. “Be comfortable.”

“Thank you for having us”, Oskar responded.

“Edward will be keeping us company. He is here for my protection. I hope you understand.”

Oskar nodded. “Of course. We would not expect anything else.”

“Do you wish to proceed with formal introductions?”, Edward asked. “It is not customary in Eshein to explicate the obvious, but we are on Sev soil.”

“Great. I hate formal pandering”, Thorun said.

Sinking into a chair, Guld motioned for them to do the same. Once they were seated, servants came and prepared plates for them and poured drinks. First when everyone had been served did Guld speak again.

“Do you care to tell me why an army is making camp outside my gates?”

“So much for the hospitality”, Thorun challenged.

Guld frowned at her for a brief moment before turning to Edward with an expression of bewilderment.

“Apologies. I was under the impression that the Fri appreciated directness”, Edward tried.

“I prefer it greatly. I do, however, not appreciate being treated like an adversary. If we were here to cause any harm, you would know it”, Thorun chastised.

“That was not the intention, I assure you.”

“Indeed. My apologies”, Guld said. “What is the reason for your visit and why does it require such a show of force?”

“We are here to talk. Nothing more”, Oskar ensured. “I have visited many towns in your lands for the same purpose. Surely you have had no reports of misgivings due to our presence.”

“If I had, you would not be dining with me. You would not have been allowed to travel freely”, Guld stated unequivocally.

“As for the show of force”, Tone prompted.

“Merely for our own safety”, Oskar said. “Like Thorun mentioned earlier today, there are a lot of bandits roaming the lands. One cannot be too careful.”

“Sensible”, Guld agreed. “What is it you wish to discuss?”

“I am a descendant of Floki, the fist king of Sev, and I intend to reunite the country under the Crown.”

Guld looked to Edward again.

“Even though there is no direct heir who could succeed the late king, Oskar’s heritage connects him to the Crown and thus gives him a claim. As you know, Floki is a man of great importance to the people of Sev. His bloodline will offer Oskar legitimacy”, Edward explained.

“If you seek the throne, then why are you here and not in Storhjärd?”, Guld questioned.

Taken aback at the question, Oskar hesitated.

“Frankly, we need your support. Or, at the very least, having your support would make things a whole lot easier”, Yri admitted.

Guld looked to her, and then past her to Ida. He averted his eyes again with haste and cleared his throat. “What manner of support are you talking about?”

“What kind do you have on offer?”, Yri jested.

Guld frowned at that. He firmly avoided looking too far to the left again, keeping his gaze only on Yri.

“Our main request is vocal support of the claim. That is, for you to state that you believe Oskar is indeed the rightful king”, Tone explained.

“Treating him as such would be the next thing”, Edward hinted.

“How could I know if Oskar has this claim that he says he does?”, Guld asked.

Una chuckled a little and Guld tensed. Ida nudged her sister to get her to quiet down.

“I suppose you cannot know that”, Oskar conceded. “I do have a family tree which shows my connection to the Crown, but in the end this is a matter of trust more than it is a matter of provable claim.”

Edward nodded in agreement and Guld sighed, evidently bewildered by the entire ordeal. “Very well. What reason do I have to trust you, then?”, he asked.

“What a tough audience”, Thorun commented irritably.

“We have protected your people from the Wolves while travelling along the Ader. Lives were lost near Adersta when we drove the Wolves back. Do you not appreciate this sacrifice?”, Oskar challenged.

Impressed with his boldness, Thorun whistled. Yri sighed in exasperation.

Guld remained silent for a long moment. Oskar parted his lips to speak again, but Tone discretely placed a hand on his knee to stop him.

Eventually, Guld nodded and stood. “It has been an interesting conversation. Do enjoy dinner.”

“Can our people freely visit the city?”, Yri asked.

“Certainly. I expect no trouble”, Guld agreed. Without any further formalities, he turned around and left.

Edward smiled at Kaija. “I will meet you outside as soon as I can.”

“Looking forward to it”, Kaija agreed.

Edward bowed to Oskar before taking his leave as well.

“Guld is one strange individual”, Thorun said.

“I am pretty sure he finds us just as strange as we him”, Oskar countered.

“Most definitely”, Tone agreed. “Sev customs take some getting used to. Not to mention Fri customs. I am impressed that he knew to serve wine.”

“Edward must have told him”, Kaija theorised.

“Speaking of impressions”, Sylvia said. “I suggest we start addressing Oskar as ‘My King’ or ‘Your Highness’. Edward was right about what he said. Treating Oskar as the king we claim him to be is important to our cause. The more people act like he is the king, the more legitimate a king he will be.”

Yri groaned. “Fine. I hate to say it, but you are right.” She turned to Oskar and smirked. “Your Highness.”

“This is very uncomfortable”, Oskar admitted.

“All the more reason to get you used to it”, Sylvia argued.